'nother Rigaudeau article

[David]

Rigaudeau could be in uniform by Wednesday
Associated Press

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks expect to sign Italian League star Antoine Rigaudeau on Monday and could have him in uniform for their game Wednesday with the Sacramento Kings.

Assistant coach Donnie Nelson will skip a game in Los Angeles on Sunday to remain in Dallas to finalize the deal.

"From what I've heard, he's coming Monday,'' said Don Nelson, the Mavs' coach and general manager. "We'll get him signed, then he and Donnie will fly out and meet us in Sacramento. That's the plan.''

The Mavericks have the NBA's best record, but they still consider the Kings the league's best team. Sacramento ousted Dallas from the playoffs in the second round last season.

One of the Kings' strengths is their bench, and that's an area the Mavericks would like to improve. Rigaudeau (pronounced Rig-uh'-dough) should help.

The 6-foot-6 swingman helped Virtus Bologna win two European championships and was part of France's silver medal squad at the 2000 Olympics. He averaged 13.9 points this season for Virtus, making 43 percent of his 3-pointers. He played his farewell game Wednesday.

After buying out his contract with Virtus, which lasted through June 2004, he's expected to sign a deal with Dallas that runs for at least two seasons.

Nelson wants to use the 31-year-old Rigaudeau in the unique role of point forward.

Although Nelson has great floor leaders in Steve Nash and Nick Van Exel, he likes a bigger player to control the ball at times to free up those guards to shoot and to try to create mismatches. Nelson has used the hybrid position many times throughout his long coaching career.

Rigaudeau has never done that, but Nelson thinks he can because "he's a forward that has a good handle and gets a lot of assists.''

"I don't know how long it's going to take,'' Nelson said. "If he's ready by playoff time I'd be happy, but I think it'll happen way before then because he's a good player.''

Nelson hasn't had much luck developing or acquiring a point forward this season. Obstacles prevented him from getting the player he wanted most domestically, so the Mavs started looking overseas.

"We never assumed he was available,'' Nelson said. "Just by talking to people we learned there was a chance something could happen because his team was losing, was in financial problems.

"There was going to be something that had to be done anyway over there. So it was a perfect scenario.''

Because Rigaudeau has been playing, he's already in shape. What he's lacking is knowledge of the Mavs' system. And his English is rusty, at best.

Grasping the role of point forward will make his learning curve even more steep.

"We have a pretty complicated half-court system. It'll take some time to get used to it,'' Nelson said. "He doesn't have to just know the 3 position. There's another step to running the show, knowing all the options and that kind of stuff.''

Nelson already has a possible solution.

"I have a way to simplify things, limit what he does,'' he said. "Maybe instead of going with five or six sets we'll go with one or two.''
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I wonder who the point forward candidate that Nelson wanted was and what were the problems with acquiring him? It could be that who Nelson wanted in the US would have required a trade or was he talking about the Rashard Lewis or Michael Redd deals this summer.

[Chiwas]

One inch less?

[OutletPass]

Guess he was finally measured by a woman, chi !

[LRB]

<< Guess he was finally measured by a woman, chi ! >>



Maybe it wasn't a particularly attractive woman?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[MavsFanFinley]

<< I wonder who the point forward candidate that Nelson wanted was and what were the problems with acquiring him? >>



I wonder if McCloud was asking for too much money? Not sure why they'd have a problem signing him?

Mavs were interested in another player

Don Nelson said Friday that prior to going after Antoine Rigaudeau, he had interest in another free agent, presumably one with NBA experience. But Nelson said the Mavericks had trouble &quot;getting the guy I wanted signed,&quot; so they turned their attention overseas.

Nelson initially would not say which player he had interest in, but confirmed after Friday's win against Boston that it was former Maverick George McCloud.

[BrianJ]

Honestly baby the water was cold. I am serious, it happens

What the hell happened? We went from hearing Antoine is a Gemini who likes long walks on the beach he dislikes broccoli and innertubes. 3 days ago we were hearing about his 7th grade book reports now we don't even if the guy is alive.

[za dunkin' 1]

Well I definitely think Rigaudeau can play the point forward position. He's been doin' it in Europe for the last couple of years.

You have to know that originally Rigaudeau is a point guard! He started to play professional at 16.
His whole career in France and the two first years of his career in Italy, he played at point, (which causes him to be called &quot;Le Roi&quot;, you guess why...) occasionally playing shooting guard when shooting acccuracy was required, mainly when facing zone defenses.

Then a young player from Yougoslavia playing at the point emerged in the same Team: Marko Jaric, which plays now for The Clippers. Given the shooting skills of Rigeaudeau and his experience (His was by then 28, 12 years of professionalism) the Coach of the italian team let the point to Jaric to mature and Rigaudeau played more and more at the 2 position.

Then a young player from ...Argentina emerged at the 2-position : Ginobili, that u all know I think! You know then what happened : Rigaudeau which was 29, played at the 3 and let the 2-spot to Ginobili. And the Virtus Bologne waas playing with Jaric-Ginobili-Rigaudeau! nice back court.

I have to precise that You can't deduce that Rigaudeau is not good enough as Ginobili at 2 , or Jaric at 1. Simply they were young players, and that great coach that is Messina choose to let them develop at their natural position, taking advantage of Rigaudeau polyvalence.

Messina was preparing the future for The Virtus, but he had not forecast that the NBA teams would start to cherish non American players and steal him his jewels...

[za dunkin' 1]

by the way, he is 6-7, 2 meters measured barefoot